dear avocet ~ hello, and GOOD LUCK in your quest to remove the kudzu
vine from your property. some nicknames for kudzu include the
"mile-a-minute" vine, and the "Vine That Ate The South...." It covers
over 7 MILLION acres in the Deep South now. you may know the
following facts about kudzu already, but for those who may never have
seen it, i offer the following:
Kudzu was introduced to the U.S. at the 1876 Centennial Exposition, in
a Japanese exhibit garden. In Japan, the vine has natural insect
enemies that keep it under control. Ornamental gardeners in America
soon discovered it for its sweet smell and large leaves. By the
1920's, it was being grown for animal forage. In the 1930's the Soil
Conservation Service promoted kudzu for erosion control [remember the
Grapes of Wrath and the Oklahoma dust bowl?], and the Civilian
Conservation Corps was soon busy planting it across America. By the
1940's, farmers were paid as much as eight dollars an acre as
incentive to plant fields of it.
The climate of the Southeastern U.S. is perfect for kudzu. The vines
grow as much as a foot per day during summer months, climbing trees,
power poles, and anything else they contact. Under ideal conditions
kudzu vines can grow sixty feet each year. No telling how long the
vines on yr Louisiana acreage have had to get a good foothold.
UNFORTUNATELY, its predilection for rampant growth helped us learn
that it can also destroy valuable forests by preventing trees from
getting sunlight. The
U.S. Forest Service spent almost 20 years researching ways to kill it
with herbicides. Most had little effect, and one herbicide actually
made the kudzu grow BETTER! The Forest Service now recommends
repeated herbicide treatments for at least four years, but some kudzu
plants may take as long as ten years to kill, even with the most
effective herbicides. So, you're looking at a LOT of money if you want
to clear three acres of the stuff, not to mention time.
The USDA declared kudzu to be a weed in 1972... Now, to some good news:
Researchers at Tuskegee Univ. successfully raised Angora goats in
fields of kudzu which would otherwise be considered wasted land. The
goats keep the kudzu from spreading. THus, you might consider getting
a small herd of goats and putting them to work. Their constant grazing
will eventually eradicate the kudzu on your property. In the
meantime, you could profit from selling the goat milk and wool
products.
Other Uses for Kudzu:
> Basket makers love the curvy, twisty, rubber-like vines.
> You can make PAPER from kudzu.
> People are making products like kudzu blossom jelly and syrup.
> kudzu hay is high in nutritive value - while some feel its
difficult to cut and bale, the secret apparently is to "cut it low and
bale it high"
> you can make TEA from the leaves
> it's EDIBLE!!! for people also, that is... In China and Japan,
ground kudzu root has been a common ingredient in foods and
medications for centuries. Over here in the U.S., people make
deep-fried kudzu leaves, kudzu quiche, and many other kudzu dishes.
and, as with many other phytopharmaceuticals still hiding in the rain
forest and in other places around the world, Kudzu may even contain
some secrets to a healthier life for us:
Research with laboratory animals at Harvard Medical School has
revealed that a drug extracted from kudzu root may help in the
treatment of alcoholism. For now, only alcoholic rats and hamsters are
benefiting from it, but who knows...
you can read more about kudzu in a book at this website. the book
contains a chapter called "KUDZE BATTLE PLANS" that may offer you some
more concrete ideas for ridding your acreage. good luck!!
http://www.kudzukingdom.com/ |
